Monday, December 17, 2007

Today I saw went to the mall and saw "Enchanted" and "Superbad." I was originally only going to see Superbad, but it started later than I thought. I didn't want to go back another day, so what to do with the remaining hours? See another movie, of course!

"Enchanted" is cute all over. The backstory is dealt with pretty quickly, because the main character Giselle needs to get to Manhattan so the real story can begin. Giselle is simply adorable and lovable. You'll leave the movie wanting to spend some time in her world. However, I thought that the movie didn't go far enough with the "princess in an unfamiliar world" theme. I would have liked to see more scenes where Giselle tries to navigate the strange world that is rude, in-your-face, crowded, fast New York City. What I did like was seeing the cartoon characters come to life. This was made possible by the fact that the actors were cast, and then animated. It's a delight seeing what each character looks like in the "real world."

"Superbad" I'm not too sure about yet. I think I would have found it funnier had I seen it with another person who likes these kinds of movies. Some of the scenes are incredibly hilarious and awkward, but the vulgarity of the movie is just too over-the-top. The last half of the movie tempers the vulgarity with some sweetness and character growth, but too little too late. I think "Knocked Up" better mixed the rude with the real. The supporting characters took the spotlight. The "McLovin" plotline could have been its own movie. I thought the cops were great. Seth Rogen brings charm to everything he's in, and you get a sense that the cops were in the same situations as the movie's teenagers when the cops themselves were that age. You have to wonder if they've even grown up at all. A few of the scenes will become classics, much like the "pie scene" in American Pie.

Good movies, bad movies, it doesn't matter. At least I got out and saw something in the theater, which I do far too rarely these days.